London — Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has robustly denied accusations of racism and antisemitism stemming from his time as a student at Dulwich College, reports The Guardian. At the same time, Farage addressed recent scrutiny regarding his party’s connections to Russia, following the imprisonment of a former party figure.

Farage dismissed the allegations of school-era racism and antisemitism, stating they refer to incidents from 49 years ago. He asserted that he has never discriminated against anyone based on their origin. However, he admitted to the possibility of having “spoken badly” during his youth, suggesting a degree of regret for past comments. When pressed on whether he racially abused fellow students, Farage clarified that he never did so “with intent.”

Separately, Farage downplayed any significant ties between Reform UK and Russia. This follows the case of Nathan Gill, the former leader of the party’s Welsh branch, who was recently imprisoned for accepting payments in exchange for making pro-Russian statements. Farage argued that he lacks the capacity to conduct in-depth investigations into all individuals associated with the party and described the incident as a “slight embarrassment” for Reform UK.

Farage, a prominent figure in British politics known for leading UKIP and the Brexit Party, now heads Reform UK, which has been gaining traction in national polling.